Angel Beats: Favored
by Symantra
Summary: After the end of the period of time spent in the Afterlife, Otonashi is born into a new life. A happier one. As life continues on, he meets someone. A girl, strangely familiar... **Discontinued Remake if I get enough requests**
1. Prologue: Everything Comes to an End

**A/N~**

**Wow! I actually forgot to put these in. I'm writing this at the time that I'm writing chapter 3. Alright, sorry about that. So, this is my first fanfic! Please leave some feedback in the reviews if you can, I would really appreciate it!**

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><p>"Yuzuru, please…"<p>

Kanade turns around and looks at Otonashi. Her golden eyes seem to waver, as if well-hidden emotions were finally starting to show.

"Repeat what you just said!"

"No! I won't! Kanade, you'll disappear!"

"Yuzuru, please!"  
>"I can't! I can't do it!"<br>"Yuzuru!"

"Please, let me believe in everything you believed in! Let me believe, that life is great. Yuzuru…"

For a moment, Otonashi was silent.

"Kanade… I love you."

Otonashi pulls Kanade into an embrace.

"Let's stay together forever!"

"Thank you."

"I love you, Kanade!"

Tears start to stream down Otonashi's face. All the pent-up feelings that were created during his "life" in the Afterlife were coming out.

"Thank you so much."  
>"Kanade…"<br>"Thank you for loving me."  
>"Please don't pass on… Kanade… Kanade!"<p>

Now, Kanade was silent for a brief moment, as if gathering her thoughts and emotions.

"Truly, thank you for giving… my life to me."

Suddenly, Otonashi fell to his knees. The warm body he was just embracing had disappeared. Kanade, once known as Angel, once the sworn enemy then friend and ally of the Afterlife Battlefront, and the love of Otonashi, was gone.

The clouds mingle in the orange-stained sky above.

"Kanade!"

Nobody heard his scream. The NPCs continued walking, and minded no business but theirs.

"What am I to do now…?"

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><p><strong>AN~**

**How did I do? Once again, feel free to leave a review with feedback, and if you would like me to answer a question or you want to leave a suggestion or comment, go ahead! Follow the story and / or me if you want to get daily updates, and if you enjoyed please leave a rating, review, or favorite the story and/or me if you wish!**


	2. Chapter 1: A Meeting Planned by Fate

**A/N~**

**Here's the first chapter! Hope you enjoy, and I hope this turns out to be a great fanfic. I would really appreciate your opinions and such on my writing style, any problems and / or talents that stand out while I type these up. Please realize, this is my first ever actual work of writing that has I've ever published on the Internet, so the feedback and opinions of you amazing people are VERY important to me at this time, and always will be. Thank you for reading through this (hopefully you did) and please, enjoy the story!**

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><p>"Huh… I don't even know where the local stores are, how am I supposed to go grocery shopping?"<p>

Otonashi adjusted his backpack. Whenever he wore his green cargo shirt, it always seemed most comfortable to wear it over his shoulder as such. It was the oddest feeling, but it just felt right.

Typically Hatsune, Otonashi's sister, was the one who did the shopping for the two. Otonashi doesn't usually go shopping, but he had no choice as Hatsune was ill with the fever.

The two lived in an apartment near the center of the city. They were comfortable living there, and enjoyed a busy life; both longed for a quieter life away from the city. There was a house near the countryside, surrounded by nature, which Otonashi was planning to buy. Otonashi knew that Hatsune secretly wished to move there, although she did a good job of hiding it. He wanted to surprise her by showing Hatsune her new room in the house, but that definitely wouldn't happen right now. First things first, where were the grocery stores?

Otonashi decided to continue heading in the direction of the central plaza, where Hatsune told him she normally headed to for her daily shopping routines. Thankfully, Hatsune had picked up enough last week to sustain them both for a while, and Otonashi was just picking up a couple of things she had missed.

Gradually he became aware of someone humming in the background. The tune was pretty and quiet. It was familiar… Almost as if he had heard it before… He turned around and noticed a girl leaning against the wall.

She was wearing a knee-length white cotton skirt underneath a blue vest, and had a plain yet charming shoulder bag slung over one shoulder. Underneath a lightly-colored hat resembling a fedora, she sported short hair, resembling silver in its color and sheen. 'I think she would look better with a _cloche_, and maybe longer hair. 'Shoulder-height, maybe?' Otonashi thought to himself. As he thought this, the girl glanced at a pink cell phone, and then started to walk away in the direction he had come from. Something compelled him to follow. There was time to think about his decision later, but he knew that there was something important to him about this platinum-haired girl. The fact that this girl was about a head shorter than him occurred to Otonashi as he approached her. He had been so busy observing her other features; the height of the girl had been lost on him.

Otonashi ran. No matter how creepy it would seem, he had to get this girl to notice him. 'What should I say to her?' he wondered as he approached. Something that wouldn't make him sound strange… While Otonashi thought about this, he unconsciously reached out a hand and placed it on the girl's shoulder. He felt a jolt run up his arm as the girl stiffened and turned around. Otonashi immediately felt surrounded, almost trapped, in the girl's huge, golden eyes. He felt as if he could look into them all day.

"Excuse me? Did you need something?"

A voice, soft as silk, yet firm and clear startled him out of his daydream.

"Oh.. uhh, hi!" Otonashi stuttered. 'Damnit, what made me do this?'

"Umm… Hello! It's a nice day today isn't it?" Her mouth melted into a smile. 'Wow,' was all Otonashi could think. This girl was beautiful, and he knew it.

"Yeah… It is… It sure is,"

"So, did you need something, or did you just want to say hi?"

The girl's smile seemed to become a smirk. "Or did you just…"

"What? Oh, no, I wouldn't…"

"I know you wouldn't. I can tell by your behavior. You're an honest person!"

"Oh, uh, thanks! So, did you want to, umm, you know, get something to eat? We can go to the food court and talk…" Would she say yes? Or would she just give him the look saying "Who are you, and why are you talking to me?"

"Hmm… Why not? I guess I don't have anything better to do. I'll follow you."

The girl accepted Otonashi's invitation gladly. For a moment, he was stunned. He hadn't thought about what would happen if she agreed, just what would happen if she denied. At this moment, he realized that he wasn't due back at home for another hour. Maybe he could fit this unexpected venture in his schedule!

"Oh, uhh what's your name? I'm Otonashi. You can call me Yuzuru," Otonashi questioned. The girl, who had walked up to his side, was silent for a moment, before she replied.

"My name is Kanade. Kanade Tachibana."

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><p><em>Cloche: A cloche is a bell-shaped hat made primarily for women. If you would like to take a look at one, do some quick searching on the Web!<em>

**A/N~**

**How did I do? Once again, feel free to leave a review with feedback, and if you would like me to answer a question or you want to leave a suggestion or comment, go ahead! Follow the story and / or me if you want to get daily updates, and if you enjoyed please leave a rating, review, or favorite the story and/or me if you wish!**


	3. Chapter 2: Small Talk

**A/N~**

**Chapter two! Hell yeah! Okay! Yep! Okay, my enthusiasm is dead. Anyways... Enjoy the (rather short) chapter!**

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><p>"Hey Yuzuru, what are you going to eat?" Kanade questioned as they headed towards the food court. The two had gotten along quite well together as they made small talk and introduced themselves while walking.<br>"I don't really know. Maybe I'll get teriyaki…"  
>"Have you tried the Mabo tofu? I hear it's really good, but I never actually took the time to try it. I want to try it today, if that's okay with you."<br>"Oh sure, that's fine! In fact, I may try it too. Isn't Mabo tofu really spicy?"  
>"Yes, that's what I hear. My mother ate it all the time, before she…"<p>

Kanade's voice trailed off. Otonashi could tell that she was deep in thought. He decided not to disturb her, as he could tell that this could be a sensitive topic to talk about. Before he could say anything, Kanade started to speak.

"She died. She was out biking one afternoon, then without realizing she rode into a gunfight… Her funeral was held a week after that."

Kanade kept walking. Otonashi was amazed at how she could stay so strong while talking about this.

"I had no idea… I'm sorry."  
>"Don't be. It wasn't your fault… Anyways, there's nothing that can be done about it anymore. So, could you tell me a little more about yourself?"<p>

Needless to say, Otonashi was glad to have someone to talk to. He told Kanade all about his life. He told her about his school, his sister Hatsune, his goal, but most of all about his parents.

His mother had passed away, victim to a plague that had done its work quickly and deadly. The closest thing to a father Yuzuru had was his teacher. The actual father of the two was a drunkard. Although he had cared a bit in the beginning, as Otonashi and Hatsune grew up, he spent less time with them and more time in bars. After an incident reeking strongly of alcohol, Otonashi took Hatsune and a plane ticket to another city. The two strove to forget their troubles and began a new life, in this new city.

"Wow… You definitely had an interesting childhood." Kanade looked at him. Otonashi could sense sympathy and wonder in her deep golden eyes.

"Yeah. Definitely interesting."

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><p><strong>AN~**

**How did I do? Once again, feel free to leave a review with feedback, and if you would like me to answer a question or you want to leave a suggestion or comment, go ahead! Follow the story and / or me if you want to get daily updates, and if you enjoyed please leave a rating, review, or favorite the story and/or me if you wish!**


	4. Chapter 3: Mabo Tofu

**A/N~**

**Chapter 3 is here! Are you guys ready? A bit longer than the last one, so hopefully it should be more enjoyable if you're the type of person who likes bigger chapters. As usual, please leave a rating and review if you can, your feedback is important to me. Feel free to PM me any questions, concerns, hate-messages, love-letters, and suggestions! Thanks!**

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><p>Otonashi looked at the bowl of Mabo tofu in front of him. The tofu floated around in a thick red liquid, probably extremely spicy sauce.<p>

'Geez, I'm almost afraid to try it.' He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to have Mabo tofu without a couple pitchers of water nearby. 'Well, I guess I ordered it so I shouldn't waste it.'

"This is pretty good! I can see why my mother enjoyed it so much." Kanade ate another spoonful. It was as if she was immune to the spice.

'How does she do it?' was the main thing that went on in Otonashi's mind as he drained his glass of water.

"Oh, poor Yuzuru, is the spice too much for you?" Kanade mocked him with her eyes and laughed. Otonashi glared at her, then started to laugh.

"Yeah, I think it is. So, you mentioned that you never got the chance to come to the food court and try the food here. Is there a specific reason why, or…?"

"Well, the main reason is that my father is almost always busy. He has a powerful position in a company that manufactures cellphones." Kanade popped open her bag and pulled out her phone. "This was a complimentary one that they gave me, sort of as thanks for being the daughter of one of their managers. I was told that I could use it for anything I wished, like school, friends, or business, not that I'll be doing anything business-related for a while.

"Otherwise, he never has time to go anywhere with me. As a result, I'm actually really free. I can stay out late, stay out for the entire day, and he doesn't mind! It's actually a nice arrangement, and sometimes when he is on break we go out to the beach or movies."

"Ahh.. I see," Otonashi was glad that Kanade had found a way to make her dad's busy schedule settle alongside her own.

Throughout the entire conversation between the two, Otonashi had taken the time to take in more of Kanade's personality. She was adept at hiding her emotions and feelings. If she felt the need, you couldn't tell if she was in an outrage or wanted to have a nice talk over lunch. Alongside that, she was great at explanations and leisurely chat. Otonashi concluded that you could have a really in-depth conversation with her, as long as you don't piss her off. 'I really don't want to piss her off,' Otonashi thought as he finished off his bowl of Mabo tofu. Kanade had already finished hers.

"Wow… You must really like Mabo tofu."  
>"I like Mabo tofu… I never tried it before today, but… I guess I do like Mabo tofu."<p>

Otonashi checked his watch. It was about 4:50 PM, and Hatsune was expecting him home by five.

"I'd better get going, or my sister is going to yell at me."  
>"Oh, I guess I should go too. Thank you for having me, I really liked eating with you Yuzuru!"<br>"Thank you for joining me. I really enjoyed the time we spent together…" Otonashi paused. Kanade looked at him expectantly.  
>"Were you about to say something?"<br>"Err… Maybe you would want to… do this again? Some other time? Maybe for breakfast?"  
>Kanade's face lit up. Otonashi could tell what her answer would be, but wanted to hear her say it anyways.<br>"That's a great idea! Maybe Sunday, if you aren't too busy?"  
>"Why not? Would you like to meet Hatsune? I can bring her along if you want to meet her!"<br>"That would be great! I would love to meet your sister. She sounds like a nice person!"

Otonashi smiled.

He couldn't wait until Sunday.

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><p><strong>AN~**

**How did I do? Once again, feel free to leave a review with feedback, and if you would like me to answer a question or you want to leave a suggestion or comment, go ahead! Follow the story and / or me if you want to get daily updates, and if you enjoyed please leave a rating, review, or favorite the story and/or me if you wish!**


	5. Chapter 4: A Bite to Eat

**A/N~**

**Hey guys! Another chapter is here, sorry to keep you waiting! ;) I'm back in school now, so I may start putting these chapters out later and taking more time, so I'm sorry if you get impatient. On a happier note, enjoy!**

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><p>Kanade looked around. No sign of Otonashi or Hatsune, and they were supposed to be here almost 5 minutes ago. She sighed. They must be running late, or maybe they just forgot. She was about to call the waiter over to order a snack, but as soon as she stood up to find him, she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Kanade smiled as she remembered the last time this happened, a couple of days ago while she was leaning against a wall doing nothing in particular.<p>

"Hey Kanade! Sorry to keep you waiting, we ran into a bit of a problem. We, err, slept in."  
>"He slept in." Hatsune smirked and elbowed Otonashi in the ribs.<p>

Otonashi sat down next to Kanade. Hatsune sat down on the opposite side of Otonashi.

"Hello Yuzuru. Hello Hatsune." Kanade smiled as she greeted the two latecomers.

Hatsune might have been going for a formal look, with a nice white dress and had a blue ribbon in her hair. Kanade had decided to wear a peach long-sleeve shirt, partnered with a black skirt, slightly above her knees. Although she had no memory of it, her outfit was surprisingly similar to the one she had worn in the Afterlife. She wasn't wearing a hat today, and her head of silver hair was fully visible. It was still around shoulder-length as it was when she met Otonashi, yet she wanted it to grow out past her shoulders. Otonashi was wearing the same green cargo shirt he was wearing when they met. He still had his pack slung across his shoulder, and was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans.

'Yuzuru is actually quite handsome, now that I think of it…' Kanade prevented herself from staring too long at Otonashi's outfit and face.

'Kanade looks even prettier than she did last time…' Otonashi, in turn, tried not to linger on Kanade's clothing and attracting facial features.

"So, this is a pretty nice café. How do you like it Kanade?"  
>"It's not bad… I like the decorations."<p>

The Quick Bites Café was located about 3 blocks down from Otonashi's apartment. It was a medium-sized place, surrounded by rounded white tables accustomed with white wire-net chairs. Inside, there were red-cushioned counters with polished granite tables on both sides of the room, and at the back there was a glass showcase with plenty of sweet bakery items inside. Overall, the appearance of the café was excellent, and the food was professionally made by a select group of cooks, known for their efficiency and skill within the kitchen, and also for their easy-to-love personality.

Otonashi took the responsibility of starting a conversation. After all, someone's got to do it, and the other two didn't seem to be volunteering.

"Kanade, how's your life at home?"  
>"There's nothing wrong with it. My father and I live in a mansion near the public park. Since we don't have servants and he's usually at work, I'm alone most of the time."<p>

Otonashi's eyes widened with amazement. He'd thought about the economic state of the Tachibana family, but had no idea they were so high up.

"Wow… Don't you ever get lonely?  
>"Sometimes. I have lots of time to think and use the computer."<p>

While Kanade and Otonashi had been talking, Hatsune pulled out a piece of paper and pen from her bag then scribbled something on it.

"Here," she said, passing the note to Kanade. "Call us if you ever want to meet up, or just talk!"

Kanade smiled. "Thank you, I'll memorize this when I have time."  
>"That should be pretty soon!"<p>

The trio laughed and socialized all throughout the afternoon. As the sky faded into crimson, the friends eventually split apart and went home.

Yet surely, nothing could keep them from meeting up again.

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><p><strong>AN~**

**How did I do? Once again, feel free to leave a review with feedback, and if you would like me to answer a question or you want to leave a suggestion or comment, go ahead! Follow the story and / or me if you want to get daily updates, and if you enjoyed please leave a rating, review, or favorite the story and/or me if you wish!**


	6. Chapter 6: A New Home

**A/N~**

**Whoa! Sorry for the long wait. I've been back at school, so I have about 60% less time to write. On top of that, I'm also lazy and play lots of video games when I should be writing chapters. XD Otherwise, enjoy the chapter! As usual, feel free to leave a review and if you want to follow or favorite the story, I'm not stopping you. One last thing, I do think I've been leaving too many Author Notes at the end of my chapters, so I'll cut down on that, hehe. Enjoy!**

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><p>"How have you been Yuzuru?"<p>

It had been a month since the last time Kanade and Otonashi last saw each other. Otonashi and Hatsune had been busy with school work and work, so there was no time for socializing. Just recently, Otonashi had purchased the house and negotiated all the paperwork. In a few hours, he was going to show Hatsune the house, before he started to move their possessions.

"Pretty good. Life has been bearable for a while."

The new house was an isolated one. A quarter mile from the city, it was on the edge of a forest and meadow, and had quite a peaceful look. Once Otonashi had seen it in person, he knew it was perfect.

"I've just finished the paperwork for the house. It's two-story, has four bedrooms and a comfortable layout for three or four people living there at once. You could even stay with us for a while, and it would be perfectly comfortable!"

"That would be nice. Maybe a subtle vacation some time?"  
>"Sure! Anyways, would you come with me to show Hatsune the house? We'd both love it if you could."<br>"Yes. Would you want help moving, too? The job will be easier with another person."  
>"Yeah! It'd be great if you could! Thank you for all the help."<p>

Otonashi smiled. He couldn't wait to see Hatsune's face once she saw their new place. To be honest, he couldn't wait to move in either. With Kanade's help, they could be done and settled in by midnight.

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><p>Hatsune sighed and slipped her shoes on. What could be so important that her brother had to drag her out of bed after 9 o' clock at night? She grabbed a water bottle and slice of bread before meeting her brother outside.<br>"Hey Hatsune! Sorry to keep you awake, but walk with me. Let's take the route going through the plaza."  
>"Where're we going?" Hatsune questioned as she shivered. She saw no point in a late night walk, due to the fact that she was bored and hungry. She started to take a bite out of the bead, then her brother answered her question.<br>"The forest. I want to show you something." Otonashi put his arm around Hatsune. He guided her towards the plaza. She swore she could hear engines revving in the distance.  
>"Why?"<br>"You'll see. Kanade will be there too."

The girl looked up at her brother. Red-orange hair waving in the wind, he gave off the aura of a confident, strong person, yet gentle to those he loved.

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><p>After a couple minutes, the moving vans finally pulled in. A girl with noticeable silver hair told them to set the furniture down on the grass, and then thanked them before they left. She took a seat in one of the armchairs that had been in Otonashi's apartment. It was rather comfortable. Otonashi had said to make herself at home, while he walked his sister to the house. Yuzuru was one of the few people in her life that she was happy to be around. He had the charm and the personality that she loved, and went out of his way to be polite. As she leaned her head back and stared up at the moonlit sky above, she smiled and closed her eyes and waited for her friends to arrive.<p>

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><p>Hatsune was getting a bit annoyed. Five minutes ago they started walking, and her brother still wouldn't reveal his intentions. Before she could complain however, Otonashi's calm voice broke the silence.<br>"We're almost there. Don't worry."

The girl looked around. She hadn't noticed they had left the city. They were in the middle of a meadow, on a beige-colored dirt path leading to the nearby forest and away from the bustling city. The road was lit by lanterns hanging from posts, and their destination was hidden behind a grassy hill.

After a moment of walking, the pair reached the top of the hill.  
>"Welcome to our new home," Otonashi's mouth formed a smile as sister's eyes widened.<p>

As the moon shined in the midnight sky, three figures, silhouetted by the surrounding darkness, carried out their business.


	7. An Apology

"Hey! Hatsune! Wake up, it's time for school!"

Ignoring the complaints coming from upstairs, Otonashi prepped a quick breakfast.  
>"Great. Where'd she put the silverware?"<p>

A week after the move, the house was still a mess. The only furniture around were boxes and the occasional chair and table, and neither brother nor sister had too good of an idea of where the utilities were.

"Yuzuru, where's my bag?"  
>"Don't ask me, you had it yesterday!"<br>Somewhere in the house, a couple sheets of paper were collecting dust.

**Sorry for the inactivity of the story! Don't worry, I haven't abandoned this story completely, I do want to continue writing but find it tough to actually sit down and write. Another chapter will come out (sooner or later), and I hope you guys are having an awesome time in 2014! Let us meet again! Remember, I will read all PMs that get through to me, and will reply to about 95% of them! Or maybe all of them. Come on.**


	8. Chapter 7: Sleepover

**A/N~**

**Tch, don't shoot me before I finish this note. I'm so sorry for not posting a chapter in so long! It's been what, a month? Anyways, here's the (very) long-awaited next chapter of the story! Feel free to leave a review or PM me with suggestions, comments, flames, and questions! I will answer and reply to everything I receive!  
><strong>**Enjoy the chapter!**

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><p><em>Clunk.<em> A can of soda rolled out of the machine. Picking up his refreshment, Otonashi leaned out over the rail. Turning his gaze towards his horizon, he absentmindedly mulled over his memories. During the quiet afterhours of school, the majority of students were resting at home. Otonashi usually spent an hour or two in this spot, to think or to study. Today, however, wasn't as peaceful.

Becoming aware of a group of voices, Otonashi was pulled out of his mind. Looking towards the source, his focus sharpened his hearing.  
>"What're you doing? Let go of me!" A female voice, and a rather distressed one at that, sounded out in the cool evening air.<br>"What do you think? We need something we can't get." A second voice, deeper than the first, retorted.  
>"Either you give us what we want, or we'll take it by force!"<br>At this point, Otonashi was already running.

Upon turning the corner, three figures were now in view. Two middle-aged men were harassing a female figure. Neither were aware of Otonashi yet, but he would have to move quickly. Rushing towards the first figure, he slammed his foot into his target's shin. "Shit!" Before his opponent could retaliate, a fist ascended into his jaw and from the force of the blow staggered backwards and dropped to a knee.  
>"Who the hell are you? Fuck off, or you'll get it!" Releasing the girl, the man reached into his pocket. Not waiting to see what was in there, Otonashi threw a roundhouse at his enemy's shin, and followed up with a reverse punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of his enemy, who collapsed to the ground shortly after.<p>

"Kanade, are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Indeed, the girl who had been under assault was Kanade Tachibana.  
>"No, I'm fine. We should go. The other one is recovering."<br>Even as he said it, the man started to struggle to his feet.  
>"Crap… Let's go! Are you okay with staying over?"<br>"Is it okay with you?"  
>"Of course!" Grabbing Kanade's hand, Otonashi dashed homewards.<p>

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><p>Smoke slowly drifted up into the darkened night sky. If one took the time to notice, the smell of a well-kept household could be detected. Inside, Otonashi set a tray of tea down on the table where two others were sitting.<p>

"So what did they want from you?" Hatsune had been filled in on what had happened.  
>"For the past couple of minutes, they'd been pestering me to give them cell phones." Kanade seemed unaffected by the incident. "Once they had started to threaten me, Yuzuru helped me."<br>"So they were nothing but freeloaders who recognized you as part of the Tachibana family?"  
>"Seems like it." At this, Otonashi sighed and leaned back.<br>"Damn bums. Anyways, why were you alone around there?"  
>"I was walking home from school. Why were YOU there?"<br>"Maybe you were following her, hmm Yuzuru?" Hatsune giggled.  
>"Tch, no! I hang around there after school." Otonashi playfully pushed Hatsune's shoulder. "So we both go to the same school? It's weird how we just noticed."<br>"We don't have classes together, so it's natural that neither of us noticed."

Otonashi stretched. Standing, he picked up the tray and headed to the kitchen.  
>"It's getting late. Let's get ready for bed."<p>

Wither her brother in the kitchen, Hatsune was left alone with Kanade. The quiet girl's platinum hair made a wave down her back. Covering her shoulders, you could see the light's reflection in her silky, well-kept hair. Hatsune was slightly envious of the way it seemed to flow when she moved her head. Even though she had the same hairstyle, her brown hair didn't seem as smooth.  
>"How've you been?" A calm, almost monotone voice broke the silence. It seemed like the more time they spent together, the more feelings seemed to enter Kanade's voice. Hatsune wondered if there would be a time when she could actually tell Kanade's emotions through her voice. 'We have a long way to go.'<p>

"Good, good…"  
>"That's good." Hatsune couldn't tell if that was a pun or not.<br>"I still find it funny how you and Yuzuru have been going to the same school without knowing." Seriously, how ignorant could her brother get?  
>"I was pleasantly surprised when I realized too. I actually did bump into him at school once, but that was before we knew each other."<br>"You bumped into him?"  
>"Literally. One day during lunch hours, I turned around and walked right into him, but he caught me before I hit the ground. He even apologized, even though it was my fault! Yuzuru really has a kind personality."<p>

As Hatsune listened to Kanade's story, her mind began to drift. Her brother really was a kind person. Just the kind of person she would want to have a romantic relationship with, although he was out of the question, obviously. 'Will I ever find someone like my brother? Someone kind and gentle, and always looking out for me?'

"How long are you going to stay here, Kanade?" Otonashi appeared in the doorway. "I have your room all set up, and feel free to use the house and our utilities. You don't need to ask us to use the bathroom or anything, it'll be as if you live here for real." Kanade looked up in surprise. Otonashi could be pretty silent when he wanted to.  
>"Thank you Yuzuru. I'll go use the bathroom, and get my things set up in the room. All the bedrooms are upstairs, correct?"<br>"Yep. Bedrooms and bathroom upstairs, everything else is down here on the base floor."  
>"Do you want some help? I can move things for you if you need."<br>"Thank you Hatsune. If you don't mind, that would be helpful!"

Wind blew through the trees. Rustling the leaves, the night grew ever closer. Windows glowing, a little house in the meadow seemed to be a beacon of comfort and warmth. As the stars materialized in the dark, moonlit sky above, the windows blinked out, one by one.


	9. Chapter 8: Rays of Moonlight

**A/N~**

**Been a while. Sorry for the delay in putting out this chapter. Summer vacation is on for me, and I hope you all are enjoying time off of school (work?)! Anyways, let's keep this short. Enjoy the chapter!**

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><p>As Otonashi stepped into the store, he immediately had to shield his eyes from the stunning flashes of light. 'This is probably why the store is named Dazzle.' True to its name, rotating lights shot rays of illumination all over the otherwise darkened store. The form of lighting somehow gave the store a mysterious atmosphere. "How am I supposed to find Kanade in here?"<p>

"Yuzuru! Over here!" Turning towards the call, he saw Kanade wave at him. Relieved he didn't have to search too long for her, he made his way over. "Isn't this place great?"

"It's great, especially as a major cause for epilepsy." Mocking a punch to his shoulder, Kanade smiled and pulled him towards the back of the store.

"Don't be such a downer. That's only if they had colored lights, silly. Anyways, come over here and look at these!" When they arrived at the back, Kanade pulled apart some curtains and slipped through. "Wait here." Otonashi was left standing in the back of the store, next to the changing room.  
>Well, this was sort of awkward.<br>Moments later, the curtains pulled apart again. Turning to look, Otonashi's eyes widened.  
>"How is it?" Hands behind her back, Kanade smiled. She was wearing a soft cotton dress, so clean the white fabric seemed imbued with light. As she gently swayed from side to side, the bottom of the dress followed. For Otonashi, it was impossible to put into words, but for one single word.<p>

"Kanade… it's… You're beautiful!" At this, Kanade might have blushed. Close, otherwise.

"Thanks. I was just trying this on. I should go put it back now, I don't want to end up spending too much…" Kanade went to go change back into her clothes, but Otonashi stopped her.

"Kanade, if you want this I'll buy it for you. I don't mind." He could take a couple hits to his wallet. His income was reliable.

"Really? But…" She went quiet with a finger to her lips.

As they purchased the dress, Otonashi smiled. Kanade was happy, so he was too.

* * *

><p>Hand-in-hand, two figures walked down the path. Above, the night sky hid countless stars behind wisps of dark clouds. In the glow of the streetlights, the autumn leaves waved in the wind. At times, a couple stray leaves fell from the treetop and floated downwards, some being picked up by the wind and some just spiraled down to the ground. Several leaves landed on a platinum-haired head. Another figure lifted its hand and swept them off.<p>

"Yuzuru…" Kanade began. "Thank you for today." Otonashi angled his head skywards.  
>"Oh.. Thank you for joining me! It was fun."<br>Grabbing his arm, Kanade gently pulled him along the path. Stopping in front of a fountain, the darkness around them was repelled by lamps standing around the edge of the park. The fountain's quiet splashing noises were all the background noise the night had to offer them. Bathed in moonlight, Kanade turned to face Otonashi, her hair sweeping around her shoulders, glistening and shining in the light.

"Yuzuru…" Kanade blushed and turned away. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to face him. "Yuzuru, I… think I…" Blushing madly, she hid her face in her shoulder.  
>Otonashi cupped her face in his hands. Turning her to face him, he spoke.<p>

"I like you, Kanade."

For a moment, the two looked into the eyes of the other. Kanade's pure golden eyes, and Otonashi's calming red eyes. Closing their eyes, the pair leaned in towards each other.


	10. Chapter 9: Fragmented Memories

**A/N-**

**Wow, it sure has been a while huh. I really am lazy with these postings. Apologies! Really sorry for making you guys wait! I could go off on excuses about vacation, summer, visiting relatives, and video games. But I won't, even though I already have. Anyway, enjoy the long-awaited chapter! Reviews are appreciated, follow and/or favorite me or the story to receive updates when I actually do post. As usual, PM me if you want to talk, please leave constructive criticism, compliments, or flames if you REALLY want to waste your time with that. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>It was morning.<p>

Otonashi blinked open his eyes and slowly sat up. As he did so, his thoughts flew back to what had happened last night.

* * *

><p>As he pulled away from the kiss, Otonashi had a thought. He took Kanade's hands in his. 'Well, it's now or never. If I don't do this now, I probably won't ever get another moment like this one."<p>

"Kanade… I want to be with you. Will you be my girlfriend?" If she was surprised, she didn't show it. Smiling, she put both her hands on his. "Yes. I'd be glad to." Otonashi pulled her into an embrace and she responded.

* * *

><p>While enjoying his memories, a sharp jolting sensation shot through his skull. He could see images, pictures, and events he didn't recognize. There was a faint image of a girl lying on a bed… Her face was blurry and he couldn't make out any features. There was another one where he was in the bed, but there was a bloodied school uniform on the surface of the table next to him… What the heck was up with all this? Were these his memories? They couldn't be… Had he ever been in one of these situations? Numerous others floated around in his mind. None of them depicted any people he could make out, every person in the pictures was blurry and unrecognizable. Some of them were completely blurred out completely.<br>In the back of his mind, he heard a voice.  
><em>"You are strong. Break the barrier, and receive your memories."<em>

The voice faded away.

'What the hell? What's up with this crap? I'm sure I'm not going insane, spontaneous memory recovery isn't a symptom of mental instability, yet hearing voices is, did I have amnesia, I don't think I did…' Otonashi's train of thought off-railed and he lied down on the bed. These memories… Were they memories? Did they belong to him? If not, who's memories were they? How did they get into his head? Why was he remembering these now?

"God! I can't handle this anymore. It's too early… Maybe I'll go get breakfast first…"

* * *

><p>Opening the fridge door, Otonashi pulled out the milk carton and immediately realized that it was nearly empty.<br>'I thought I told Hatsune to tell me if the milk was empty.' Time to go grocery shopping. Closing the fridge door, he went upstairs to get dressed. Checking the bedrooms, he noted that Hatsune was still asleep and there was a note on the guest room door.

_Went out to visit my father and spend time outside for a bit. ~Kanade_

Kanade would most likely be out for a couple hours. Slipping on his cargo shirt, he slipped out of the house. Walking down the leaf-covered path to the city, he let himself drift into his newly found memories.

* * *

><p>Leaving the store with grocery bags in hand, Otonashi began to head back to the house. With him being free from his job, he had nothing else on his schedule, a common occurrence on his weekend days. Sometimes he would spend the day at home, or he would wander the streets or visit his friends. Occasionally Hatsune would give him her clearance for tagging along with her when she visited her friends, or went for lunch, and other miscellaneous trips. Today was not one of those happenings; Once again, he found himself with an entire day to spend drifting away in his thoughts.<p>

* * *

><p>Of course, he couldn't well think about anything other than the event of this morning. What had happened? Otonashi figured he could retrace his thoughts, as one would follow their footprints back to their origin.<p>

_There was that jolting sensation. Almost like an electric shock, but it didn't hurt, it was more of a mental "zap"._

It was lunchtime now. He decided to go and get lunch from a restaurant in the plaza.

_I could feel memories flashing through my mind. Were they mine? If so, how did they get there?_

Otonashi scanned the menu, but found nothing of interest. His eyes alighted on the words reading Mabo Tofu. Might as well, right?

_There were others in the memories too, but their faces were blurred out, and he couldn't make out anybody from the pictures. There was one about him sitting across from someone else, with a bowl of Mabo Tofu in front of both of them. What was up with that?_

Submitting his order, he sighed and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes as a form of concentration.

_Some of the memories were interlocked, using each other as a way to compare when they happened, and what happened before or after. Some of the "interlocking" pieces didn't match up, and some memories just didn't fit any other thing. Were there more pieces to this puzzle?_

_For sure, there were more of these "lost memories". For sure, he was involved in almost every single one, either as a witness or a participant. He was part of these memories. They had to be his._

_Why are they coming back to me now? Did I have amnesia? Surely Hatsune or someone else would have known about the incident, especially if it affected almost an entire life of memories._

Something was placed on the table in front of him. Thanking the waiter, he watched the tofu float around in the red, sauce-like soup within his bowl. Eventually he ate a spoonful of the tofu, and was shocked to find that this taste, though different from the one he ate that day with Kanade, was familiar. Suddenly, images flashed through his mind.

_The memory of the girl. She was sitting across from him. He could make out her face now. Remembering her as they ate the Mabo Tofu, he knew her name. Sitting in front of the Otonashi in the memory, the girl ate another spoonful of the spicy dish without flinching._

"What does this all mean… Kanade…?"


End file.
